Mentoring teachers for excellence

One hundred percent of the Kansas educators mentored through a program at Emporia State University in 2012-13 reached the highest level of achievement in the teaching profession, each for a second time. They are National Board Certified Teachers.

“This process of board certification is similar to how a doctor becomes certified in a special area,” said Dr. Roger Caswell, executive director of the Jones Institute for Educational Excellence, who assisted these teachers in their process to renew their NBCT status. “This is voluntary. No state, school district, or program is demanding them to go through this process. That’s why, a decade after earning their certification the first time, it’s a huge commitment to say, ‘Yes, I want to do it again.’”

The 15 teachers were notified in late October/early November that the work they had done had, once again, measured up. The teachers are:

The process is often misunderstood to mean a teacher passed a test or was nominated for the award. Alvin Peters, the director of the program that guides teachers through working toward becoming NBCTs, adds, “National Board certification is a different kind of honor. Teachers must submit extensive documentation of their instruction, including videos of their students at work in the classroom.”